The Huntsman Spider – The Facts

You’re driving along and you open the sun visor. You’re cleaning at home and bump a painting hanging on the wall. Suddenly, out runs a huge, hairy spider. Australia’s huntsman spiders are the stuff of myths and nightmares.

But these are also the most interesting of their family and deserve their place in the pantheon of Australian wildlife.

I study the behavioural ecology of these remarkable spiders. Elsewhere in the world I don’t tell people that I study spiders for a living, but I confess that in Australia I do brag a little about being a huntsman specialist.

First, let’s talk numbers: there are currently 1,207 species of huntsman spider in the family Sparassidae, out of the 45,881 described spider species worldwide. It is estimated that 155 huntsman spider species are found throughout Australia.

Of those, approximately 95 species are found only in Australia. All of these are probably descended from a single common ancestor that immigrated from Papua New Guinea or elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

A female Beregama aurea, Australia’s largest huntsman.Linda S. Rayor

Big, and fast

Huntsmen are big spiders. Australia has a few relatively small species, such as the tiny (non-endemic) and amazingly camouflaged lichen spider, Pandercetes gracilis. But many of the endemics are sizeable animals, which can weigh 1-2 grams and may be as big as the palm of your hand.

Lichen spider, Pandercetes gracilis, from Queensland.Linda S. Rayor

The world’s second-largest species, the massive golden huntsman, Beregama aurea, from tropical Queensland, weighs over 5.5 grams. An adult’s forelegs may stretch 15cm and they lay egg sacs the size of golf balls.

Anyone who has chased a leggy huntsman knows that they are exceptionally fast. We have been measuring the running speed of the endemic huntsman species.

The top speed demons are both sizeable animals from tropical Queensland, Holconia hirsuta and Beregama aurea. These run 42 and 31 body lengths per second, respectively. Compare this to the world-record-holding human, Usain Bolt, who runs at a sluggish 5.2 body lengths per second.

These are some of the fastest spiders recorded in the world. The slowpokes, the rotund but colourful badge huntsman (Neosparassus species), run only 16 body lengths per second.

Huntsmen are long-lived for spiders, with most living for about 2.5 years. Although some other primitive spiders (such as tarantulas) can live up to 20 years, most other spiders live less than a year.

All huntsman spiders are active at night, emerging from their retreats to forage for insects and other invertebrates, and occasionally small vertebrates. They are ambush predators, generally sitting and waiting for prey to come close before running and leaping on it.

Huntsmen don’t use webs, but use a combination of vibrations and vision to locate their prey. Consider the huntsman a small workforce of natural insect exterminators in your house and garden.

During the day, most huntsman prefer to rest in retreats under bark, crevices or other protected areas. This is why so many people encounter the spiders under the sun visors of their cars or behind curtains in their homes, because those are perfect tight spaces for a sleepy spider.

Depending on where you live, different huntsman species tend to wander inside. In Canberra, I have no idea where the medium-sized Isopedella pessleri actually live in the wild, because they are most often caught indoors.

The family that preys together, stays together

In order to mate with virgin females, male huntsman often search out females that are not quite mature and guard them for long periods. All huntsman females are attentive mothers who actively guard their egg sacs and new-born offspring for around three weeks. For most huntsman species, these are the only social interactions they experience in their entire lives.

Holconia insignis adult female guarding an egg sac.Linda S. Rayor

But the social huntsman, Delena cancerides, lives in complex family groups up to 150 strong, led by a dominant matriarch. A single mum establishes a retreat under bark of a dead tree. Her offspring from one to four clutches remain with her until they reach sexual maturity at almost a year old. Peeling off bark to find a family of these spiders can be quite a shock.

These social huntsman aren’t found in our homes, although I’ve heard of them establishing colonies under window shutters. One long-lived colony was in a backyard where the bark retreat had been affixed in place by a laundry line.

Why should large spiders remain at home with mum and siblings, when they can clearly fend for themselves? It turns out that there simply aren’t enough suitable under-bark retreats for D. cancerides to occupy. We find that, in most habitats, sufficiently large retreats are rare.

As a result, there is strong competition among D. cancerides for each retreat, and larger females can displace smaller females. We believe that by remaining in the protected shelter of home until they are young adults, the spiders are larger and more competitive in the battle over bark retreats, which are an absolute necessity for raising their own young.

The social huntsman spiders, Delena cancerides, are found under the bark of dead trees. The mother (on the left) may have four clutches of young who remain with her until they reach sexual maturity. This means that spiders of all sizes interact with each other through their development.Linda S. Rayor

Don’t throw a wobbly and hurt a huntsman

What should you do if you do find a big spider in your car or living room? First, get a grip! She isn’t going to hurt you.

Second, find a take-away container, scoop the spider into the container and release it outside. Huntsman spiders almost never bite humans since they rely on speed to escape most predators. When they do bite, most bites are quick defensive nips without injecting venom.

In 14 years of studying Aussie huntsman spiders, I’ve handled many thousands of individuals and been bitten only 11 times when I (mostly) deserved it. Their fangs are big enough to break skin, but the venom rarely has much effect.

An exception is the badge huntsman. This is reputed to have a more potent venom, so simply use a container to move them.

Treasure your huntsman spiders. They deserve a place alongside koalas and kangaroos as iconic Australian wildlife.

Case Making Clothes Moth in Brisbane

Recently Peter, one of our technicians, found these little pests hiding under a couch and gnawing at the rug, with the homeowner having no idea they were even there. The bugs you can see are ‘Case-Making Clothes Moths‘, but it is their larvae that do all the damage, as you can see in the threadbare Persian rug that was under the couch.

By staying in these dark and secluded areas, these case making clothes moth larvae are able to destroy rugs and couches before you may even know you have them.

Great find, Peter!

What can Amalgamated Pest Control do about Carpet Pests?

In this case, Peter preformed a specialsed carpet pest treatment to combat the case-making clothes moths.

Are you worried about carpet pests or other pests around your home?

If you suspect you may have some unwanted guests in your home, call Amalgamated Pest Control Brisbane today! We’ll sort them out for you!

As many of us are packing up the family and hitting the road for some well-earned time away, we will inevitably be leaving our home for a period of time. While we’re away, what is to stop the pests moving in?

Here are our Top Tips on how to deter pests from your home these holidays while you’re away.

1. Ants

Store food in sealed containers

Make sure all foods are sealed in air tight containers.

Do not leave dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.

Do not leave dirty laundry in rooms or on the laundry floor.

Only feed pets with enough food for immediate consumption. Do not overfeed pets with food in the morning. If they don’t eat it all, ants will definitely be attracted to it.

Ensure all tree and shrub branches/palms/ foliage do not make contact with the external house walls or roof structure. This often provides an ideal opportunity for ants to gain access into the building.

Remove items away from external walls (e.g. firewood) building supplies, pipes, hoses. This deters concealed access by ants but is also quite relevant for subterranean termites.

Ensure all water taps are firmly turned-off as excess water and dampness attracts a multitude of pests (e.g. ants, flies, termites).

2. Bed Bugs

Protectabed mattress covering

Install bed mattress covers (e.g. Protecta-Bed covers) on your bed mattress as this will exclude the opportunity for Bed Bugs to conceal themselves around the folds and seams. Speak to your local Amalgamated Branch about Protecta-Bed covers

Sadly, fold out sofas are notorious harbourage areas for Bed Bugs as they conceal themselves in and around all the cracks and crevices within.

Check the bed, bed base and bed mattress – Particularly the mattress folds and seams for any sign of blood spotting or staining (SEE PHOTO).

3. Flies (Maggots)

Blowflies

Keep all foods sealed in air tight containers.

Rinse out and wash all rubbish bins including waste receptacles or before re-lining them for ease of rubbish removal (Even the wheelie bins).

Do not overload the rubbish bin days before collection with perishables (e.g. seafood remnants). Store these few items in a freezer unit and dispose of on the day of rubbish collection.

Regularly remove all dog droppings and clean out the kitty litter trays.

Only feed pets with enough food for immediate consumption. Do not overfeed pets with food in the morning. If they don’t eat it all many fly species will soon locate it and deposit eggs/larvae into it.

4. Mosquitoes

Leaving dirty dishes in the sink can attract all sorts of insects

Avoid strongly scented perfumes or toiletries, as the smell can attract insects. Seal and put these away carefully before you leave.

Ensure there are no pools of water outside, or areas where rain can accumulate. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, so remove the possibility.

5. Ticks/Fleas

Check everybody (adults, children & pets), including shoes and clothing when leaving risk areas (e.g. Bushland /long grassy areas). Ticks/Fleas are ideally suited to hitching a ride on the host.

Pay careful attention and brush yourself off before going into the home.

Regular vacuuming of floor areas will keep the flea population controlled.

Protect your animal pets (dogs, cats) by keeping their Tick and Flea program/treatments up to date – Keep it marked on a calendar or set it on your phone alarm for easy reminders.

Over the next few weeks, many of us will be packing up the family and hitting the road for some well-earned time away. While bringing home souvenirs from your trip is all part of the fun, quite often you may pick up some unwanted guests on your travels, and unknowingly bring them home with you too.

Here are our Top Tips on how to avoid pests coming home with you this holiday season.

1. Ants

Keep all foods sealed in air tight containers.

Avoid attracting ants to your camping area and personal belongings by storing food items in a separate area.

Use a broom, dust pan and brush to sweep out the caravan, camper trailer prior to heading home.

Insects like ants are ideal hitch-hikers. Migrating ants such as Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) have been able to infest soils, potted plants and hay bales, before being transported away from the area. Once ‘off-loaded’ at the new area, they can quickly establish a new colony.

2. Bed Bugs

Do you really think your suitcase couldn’t pick up bed bugs?

When travelling with suitcases – DO NOT PUT SUITCASES ON BEDS!! This provides an ideal opportunity for Bed Bugs to enter the suitcase. If necessary, place suitcases in the rooms wardrobe.

Do NOT store your suitcase under the bed, as this allows Bed Bugs easy access to enter the suitcase. If necessary, place suitcases in the room’s wardrobe.

Check fold out sofa beds for Bed Bugs, as these insects conceal themselves well in and around all the cracks and crevices within.

Check the bed, bed base and bed mattress – particularly the mattress folds and seams – for any sign of blood spotting, staining, eggs or bugs (see photo below). Discretely notify reception of any pest problems you may find.

This is what you’re looking for – bed bugs in the corner of a mattress

Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Peak mosquito activity around dusk (4 – 6 pm). Some mosquitoes prefer to attack outdoors while a few species will bite indoors, primarily biting human hosts.

Use personal repellents in situations where high risk of mosquito activity is expected, use of personal repellents will provide protection against these biting insect pests. Many travel medicine experts recommend repellents containing DEET.

5. Ticks/Fleas

You can still enjoy the great outdoors!

Check everybody (adults/children/pets) including shoes and clothing when leaving high risk areas (e.g. Bushland / long grassed areas). Ticks/Fleas are ideally suited to hitching a ride on a host.

Pay careful attention and brush yourself off before you get into your vehicle.

Use personal repellents in areas of high risks and exposure to Ticks/Fleas is possible, use of personal repellents will provide protection against biting insect pests.

Follow these tips and you are much less likely to bring home those unwanted guests these holidays.

Recent news reports have highlighted the increase in rodent activity in Brisbane. Rats and mice are invading homes during our cold winter days.

Warm places to live and plenty of food nearby means that they love to share some time with us in our homes.

Rodents eat practically anything humans eat, they get plenty of food from home gardens, fruit or nut trees and even parts of some ornamental shrubs and flowers.

Garbage disposals also attract rats into household and street sewer lines. Rats and mice have long been a problem in domestic environments where food is plentiful and convenient nesting sites are both numerous and hard to eliminate.

We are receiving unusually high rates of calls from clients regarding rats and mice, (rodents), in Brisbane.

Rodent control is an absolute must – don’t let them move in to your place.

What are the risks with rodents?

Risks Include:

Eating and contamination of stored food: Poor rodent control causes major losses in stored food through either consumption or contamination with urine, faeces and hair.

Physical Damage: The gnawing habits of rodents can cause considerable damage. Buildings, furniture, books, equipment and machinery are not immune to this sort of damage. Rodents will gnaw electrical cables causing short-circuits and even electrical fires.

Disease Transmission: Rodents play a role in transmitting diseases including the bubonic plague, salmonella, Murine typhus fever, Weil’s disease and trichinosis. Diseases are transmitted in a number of ways including their urine and faeces, scratching and biting, other parasites (e.g. fleas) or via pets.

Fear and Apprehension– The stigma attached to the presence of rodents.

Attracting snakes: Rodents are food for many species of snake, both venomous and constricting; these snakes may then pose a danger to you, your pets or your family.

Poisoning of Pets and Other Animals: Chemical baits use for rodents are often very attractive to other animals, including family pets. Sadly, the baits will be just as effective on other mammals.

Work Health and Safety: For a business, control of rodents is vital to ensure a healthy work environment for your workers and the public.

Commercial Risks: Rodent infestations can cause major damage to products and reputation of a business.

Rodent control program with lockable bait stations

How to treat rodent problems

Sanitation – reducing the food and shelter available for rodent activity. This is generally best achieved by removing any rubbish and debris against building structures. Store rubbish in bins that have tight fitting lids. Clean up any spilt food (eg. grain from around bird cages). Attend to any leaking plumbing pipes. Having the property clear from rubbish or debris will help minimise the risk of a rodent infestation. Don’t leave pet food lying around in open containers;

Rodent-proofing – alter the building structurally so that rodents cannot gain entry. For example seal up any holes with small gauge mesh and seal the bottoms of doors with automatic weather seals or weather strips. A rat can gain entry through a hole as small as 12 mm in diameter and a mouse only needs a hole no larger than 6 mm in diameter;

Trapping – using non-chemical means such as traps to physically capture rodents;

Chemical Control – Includes a wide range of baiting techniques, most commonly bait blocks used in Tamper Resistant Rodent Stations. These baits are secured inside the station and cannot be removed, making them pet and child friendly. Where needed, tracking powders, gels and other baits may be used as required.

Teamwork – Management and treatment of rodents is best achieved through a team effort between yourself and Amalgamated Pest Control.

1300 685 402

With the colder months upon us, there is one unwelcome house guest in particular that is waiting to get into a nice warm home to raise their families. Rats and Mice will attempt to enter homes from now and continue throughout winter. This time of year is what the Pest Control industry refers to as ‘Rodent Season’. The fact is, rodents are breeding all year around – they breed just as much in summer as they do in winter. The difference in the colder months is that now our homes provide a fantastic warm place for rodents to continue to live during winter.

External conditions are starting to become less attractive for Rats and Mice. This image shows a Norway Rat (often simply called a brown rat) about to enter a home. These rats prefer to burrow, but have actually started to nest within the home due to the weather getting colder. These are warm blooded mammals, and the warmth of an insulated roof space or cavity is much more appealing than a hole in the ground outside in the cold.

Norway rat entering home

Just like humans, rodents like to live in warm environments. Rats and mice find their way into a structure through small holes, make their way through the wall cavities and exploit almost any area inside your home. The roof void, wall cavities and other confined voids in and around your home make excellent nesting areas. Apart from being a nice warm place to nest this time of year, once in your home food and water is more easily accessed, often directly from your very own kitchen.

Apart from the obvious threat of disease, rats will also cause a lot of damage. Rodent’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime, and if they do not continuously gnaw to keep them in check, their teeth will become too large and essentially useless to them. Interestingly, the name Rodent comes from a Latin word which basically means to gnaw.

Wall damage from rats

Some of the damage caused by these pests will be noticeable and repairable, like this hole made in a wall by rats, giving them further access to wall cavities and other areas of your home.

Some damage, however, is a lot harder to spot, like these internal electrical wires that have been chewed back to bare copper.

In cases like these, you will most likely not notice anything at all until there are problems with your power, or even worse, a potential fire. Remember, rats and mice will always be gnawing on something, and it’s well documented that they have been the cause of many fires.

Electrical wiring damaged by rodents

There are things that you can do around your home that will help make your property less attractive for rodents to live.

Ensure all of your household garbage is in tightly sealed bins which rats and mice cannot access. This helps to restrict their access to food as much as possible. Rodents are opportunistic feeders – while they have their preferred food sources, they will still eat almost anything.

Alter your building so that Rodents cannot gain entry. Look for access holes that rats can use, such as where pipes enter buildings, gaps under external doors, etc. Sealing these and other similar points will make it harder for rodents to enter. Using a gutter guard can also be helpful to stop them entering the roof via the gutters.

Trim excess trees and shrubs from around the perimeter of structure especially trees that overhang the roof. This will both take away harbourage areas and make accessing the roof a little bit harder for them.

When all else fails, other control measures will need to be implemented. Here at Amalgamated Pest Control, we are the experts at assessing all of your options and presenting the available solutions to you.

What will you do for me?

If we are called to your home because you suspect or know you have a rodent problem, the first thing we will do is conduct a full rodent inspection. We look at all areas of known activity, internally and externally, including the roof void and the sub-floor. This inspection allows us to identify the rodent species, any nesting areas, travel routes, and where they are getting food and water from.

With this crucial information, we can than implement a control strategy best suited to the problem and the property. We will also provide you with important recommendations on things you can alter or fix to manage the environment and make it less appealing to rodents. Once management has been implemented, we will keep coming back to check the bait/trap placement until the problem is controlled. We will also point out all the proofing measures that can be undertaken to keep rodents out in the future.

Remember – if the rodents come back, so will we.

If you even think you may have a rodent problem, call us here at your local Amalgamated Pest Control today.

Well winter is finally upon us and while things may slow down for some pests in ‘pest world’ not so with many other.

Winter Pests

During winter we get increased threats from rodents, but our favourite ‘general pests’ are still active. Termites keep munching, cockroaches keep on creeping and ants keep on crawling.

This year there a new mosquito on the loose that is a spreader of chronic disease – and this mosquito doesn’t mind the colder weather. You might even discover that some of the favourite winter woollies that you pull out of storage may have been damaged by some ‘pest’ as well, nothing much you can do about that now – but there are things to do before you store the winter clothes away before next spring.

Winter Pest Checklist

Here’s a checklist of things to do this winter to keep you pest problems to a minimum:

Tidy the Clutter:

Discover all the ‘hidden stuff’ you forgot you had – and re-stow it or throw it! If you have a lot of stuff – then its important to re-inspect/move it on a regular basis to discourage rats and mice from setting up an undetected camp.

Remove Cardboard and Fabric. If you need a box – think of things other than cardboard. Plastic or metal containers are much better, this can discourage rodents and cockroaches.

General Storage:

If you’re storing something a rodent would like – then put it in a sealed box or container that they can’t get in to.

Remove any food sources:

Don’t encourage rodents to stay by giving them an easy meal. (for example, don’t leave uneaten pet food lying around). Ants are also attracted to left over food.

Seal of entry points into the building. Especially for rodents you need to seal up any holes with small gauge mesh or similar material that a rodent cannot gnaw through, and seal the bottoms of doors with automatic weather seals or weather strips. A rat can gain entry through a hole as small as 12 mm in diameter and a mouse only needs a hole no larger than 6 mm in diameter. Don’t just look down – Look up. Often rodents get in via the roof, eaves or other less obvious entry points.

Rodent Traps:

You can use snap traps to catch the odd rogue rat or mouse, but don’t use cheese as the bait – its really doesn’t work that well – things like peanut butter or cotton wool are far more effective.

Inspect your home for any containers that hold water:

This is really for mosquitoes. Make sure that water containers are emptied. This includes pot plant reservoirs. Make sure that water tanks are screened. Any container that holds water (where levels rise and fall) will encourage mosquitoes to breed. Keep an eye out for drains that hold puddles, car tyres and old buckets that everyone forgets about. Clean up the garden and make sure there is nothing around the house that holds permanent water that will rise and fall.

Screen your home:

Make sure that all your windows and doors are properly screened so that you have a safe retreat from these mosquitoes and cockroaches.

Eaves and Walls:

Check your eaves and brickwork for wasp nests and spiders. Wasps can be prevalent even during winter.

Bins:

Keep bins away from the immediate vicinity of the home. Keep them as clean as possible and wash them out regularly. Keep bins well sealed. They are a great breeding environment for flies and can encourage rodents.

Trees and Foliage:

Foliage against the house can create a highway for ants, rodents, spiders and termites. Make sure that bushes and shrubs are kept well away from the walls. Trim off any tree branches that overhang the roof and gutters, yet another highway for ants and rodents.

Still concerned?

If you believe or suspect that you have a winter pest problem, please contact Amalgamated Pest Control Brisbane for further advice.

1300 685 402

Despite the current cool weather we are experiencing, previous warm weather and heavy rainfall across the Brisbane area has created the perfect environment for mosquito breeding. Our outdoor lifecycle continually brings us into regular contact with these pests and in turn can put us at risk of contracting diseases and parasites that can affect our health. There are numerous potential health problems associated with Mosquitoes such as including Ross River Virus, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and Heartworm, (in dogs). Summer and autumn are when transmission of this virus are at its peak. During these periods, this pest can stay alive longer and potentially spread Ross River Virus. We have seen an increase in calls from customers still noticing these pests around their homes from residents in Brisbane, Boondall to Chermside, Banyo and Northgate.

How to get rid of mosquitoes’

The first step to managing mosquitoes around your home is in your own backyard. A lot of mosquitoes breed in fresh water. Their eggs are laid in fresh or brackish water and the larvae live in fresh water for a period of time until they pupate and eventually leave the water which they were born in as adult mosquitoes. The number one thing you can do is inspect your property for containers or reservoirs that can hold rain water. Mosquitoes will breed up in anything that can hold water. Even an old small container as pictured below can created a big problem for you. Removing items such as this so they can’t collect water is your first step. Things to look for that are similar could be bottles, cans, plants, watering dishes, tree hollows, open rainwater tanks, guttering, ponds, tyres and tarps. All capable of being fantastic breeding areas. Fish ponds can be a problem also. If you have a fish pond in your yard it’s a good idea to stock it with fish that will eat mosquito larvae.

How do you treat mosquitoes’?

Not all mosquitoes that are in your yard will have bred somewhere in your yard. They will fly in from neighbouring properties. It does become necessary to complete a treatment to the external areas of your home. Amalgamated Pest Control can provide good barriers to strategic areas around the outside of your home which greatly reduces the number of mosquitoes that will frequent your yard. Treatments are targeted at areas mosquitoes fly to and rest on when they first arrive in your property. If mosquito barriers are applied correctly it can last for up to six weeks I have provided many treatments for mosquitoes and have had great results and feedback from customers. A treatment such as this at the start of autumn will provide excellent relief from these pests through to the colder months when mosquitoes are not as much of a threat. There are also environmentally friendly treatments that can be applied to water sources such as ponds which are targeted directly at the larvae so that they can’t grow into adult mosquitoes.